Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Use coupon code “FEBRUARY20” for a 20% discount on all items! Valid until 28-02-2025

Site Logo
Site Logo

Royal Mail  express delivery to UK destinations

Regular sales and promotions

Stock updates every 20 minutes!

Without the Banya We Would Perish: A History of the Russian Bathhouse

2 in stock

Firm sale: non returnable item
SKU 9780197651674 Categories ,
The first history of the banya, this book offers a sweeping cultural history of an institution that is emblematic of Russian identity.
When so much in Russia has changed, the banya remains. For over one thousand years Russians of every economic class, political party, and social strata have treat...

£21.99

Buy new:

Delivery: UK delivery Only. Usually dispatched in 1-2 working days.

Shipping costs: All shipping costs calculated in the cart or during the checkout process.

Standard service (normally 2-3 working days): 48hr Tracked service.

Premium service (next working day): 24hr Tracked service – signature service included.

Royal mail: 24 & 48hr Tracked: Trackable items weighing up to 20kg are tracked to door and are inclusive of text and email with ‘Leave in Safe Place’ options, but are non-signature services. Examples of service expected: Standard 48hr service – if ordered before 3pm on Thursday then expected delivery would be on Saturday. If Premium 24hr service used, then expected delivery would be Friday.

Signature Service: This service is only available for tracked items.

Leave in Safe Place: This option is available at no additional charge for tracked services.

Description

Product ID:9780197651674
Product Form:Paperback / softback
Country of Manufacture:GB
Title:Without the Banya We Would Perish
Subtitle:A History of the Russian Bathhouse
Authors:Author: Ethan Pollock
Page Count:360
Subjects:History of other geographical groupings and regions, History of other lands, Social and cultural history, History of medicine, Cosmetics, hair and beauty, Social & cultural history, History of medicine, Cosmetics, hair & beauty, Former Soviet Union, USSR (Europe), Russia
Description:The first history of the banya, this book offers a sweeping cultural history of an institution that is emblematic of Russian identity.
When so much in Russia has changed, the banya remains. For over one thousand years Russians of every economic class, political party, and social strata have treated bathing as a communal activity integrating personal hygiene and public health with rituals, relaxation, conversations, drinking, political intrigue, business, and sex. Communal steam baths have survived the Mongols, Peter the Great, and Soviet communism and remain a central and unifying national custom. Combining the ancient elements of earth, water, and fire, the banya paradoxically cleans bodies and spreads disease, purifies and defiles, creates community and underscores difference.Here, Ethan Pollock tells the history of this ubiquitous and enduring institution. He explores the bathhouse''s role in Russian identity, following public figures (from Catherine the Great to Rasputin to Putin), writers (such as Chekhov and Dostoevsky), foreigners (including Mark Twain and Casanova), and countless other men and women into the banya to discover the meanings they have found there. The story comes up to the present, exploring the continued importance of banyas in Russia and their newfound popularity in cities across the globe. Drawing on sources as diverse as ancient chronicles, government reports, medical books, and popular culture, Pollock shows how the banya has persisted, adapted, and flourished in the everyday lives of Russians throughout wars, political ruptures, modernization, and urbanization. Through the communal bathhouse, Without the Banya We Would Perish provides a unique perspective on the history of the Russian people.
Imprint Name:Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Name:Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication:GB
Publishing Date:2022-07-08